The infiltration of the porous ceramic blanks, also referred to as pre-molded bodies, by a metal alloy to produce members or surfaces having higher loading capacities is known. Porous ceramic blanks can include, but are not limited to, passive ceramics, such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3), SiC, or AIN, and reducible metallic oxides (for example, oxides of Fe, Lr, Lo, Mu, Mo, Ti, Ni, Nb, Cu, Zr, V, W, and Ta). These are infiltrated by a light-metal alloy, in particular an aluminum alloy, for example, in a die-casting process. It is also known that, during the infiltration process, for example during a die casting process that lasts less than 1 second, the chemical reaction is negligible between the metal and the metallic oxides of the porous ceramic. Therefore, the composite body to be manufactured is typically subjected to a heat treatment at very high temperature after the infiltration process has been completed. Carrying out such a heat treatment, which should preferably be done at a temperature considerably greater than the solidus temperature of the metallic component, only makes sense in members wherein the porous ceramic blank is 100% coincident with the volume of the metallic portion of the composite body. There can be no portion of the pure metal, if a heat treatment is to be completed, because the metal portion would melt or at least would deform at temperatures sufficient to heat treat the composite body.
German Patent Document No. 197 50 599 A1, for example, proposes casting a series of layers of differently constructed, porous ceramic blanks with a recast made of a pure metal alloy. In this case, the blanks are layered in such a manner that the infiltrated blank, which forms the composite-body surface subjected to loading and wear, is mainly constituted of intermetallic phases, specifically aluminides, in the pores of the blank. In addition, unreacted metal alloy, i.e. a mixture of intermetallic phases and metal alloy, is situated in the layers facing away from the surface layer, the metallic oxides previously contained in the blank having been completely converted to intermetallic phases. After the infiltration, the examples of this publication provide for either a thermal post-treatment (annealing) being carried out to completely reduce the metallic oxide present in the specific blank (examples 1-4), or an individual, uniformly constructed blank being filled with metal alloy in a die-casting mold, during an infiltration time period of approximately {fraction (1/10)} sec. This achieves, at best, an incomplete chemical reaction of the metallic oxide with the metal of the recast.